Second Chance Thrift Reopens!
July 10, 2008
Second Chance Thrift, Cathedral Shelter’s Near West Side shop founded in the 1960’s, reopened in early June after undergoing a one-month renovation and expansion. Design students from the Illinois Institute of Art creatively addressed the store’s interior with cozy color combinations and accessories, modish dressing rooms, and new lighting, windows, and floor arrangements. Stephen Rankin Associates provided architectural renderings, while Clune Construction managed the project and donated labor and materials.
“Some very, very gifted and generous people came together to create an absolutely beautiful new store. We could not be more pleased, or more grateful to the talented and compassionate people who made this wish a reality,” says the Rev. Glenn Chalmers.
Contributors like La’Kish M. Vanzant, Burnham Nationwide, Mhairi Phillips-Miller, F. E. Moran, Inc., and The Staubach Company are certainly no exception from the team of players that helped make the $60,000-project a success.
With the new expansion, Cathedral Shelter nearly doubled Second Chance Thrift’s floor space to approximately 4,000 square feet, lending more room for stylish merchandise displays and storage. For Second Chance shoppers, this means more high-quality clothing and household items being offered at nominal cost.
Many items donated to Second Chance come from the wealthiest Episcopal parishes in Chicago, with store merchandise ranging from a complete set of Wedgewood china, to gently used Burberry raincoats and original artwork. Often, local Chicago antique dealers purchase their boutique items from Second Chance.
Second Chance Thrift is located on 1668 West Ogden Avenue. Sales from the store help fund Cathedral Shelter of Chicago’s programs and services, which include a food pantry, supportive housing, an addiction recovery halfway house, and counseling for people with addictions.
